DtB plays the Edinboro Art and Music Festival tonight near Erie, PA. They take the stage at 10:30pm. Here is what the Erie Times has to say:
Buffalo hunt: Look no further, Donna’s in Edinboro tonight
Preview by Dave RichardsStaff writer, Erie Times….
Tonight’s gig affords Donna fans and those who will be, once they hear the group, a chance to enjoy them up close. The intimate setting makes crystal-clear the camaraderie between Nevins and Puryear, who played old-time fiddle music before they founded Donna the Buffalo more than 20 years ago.Festival director Fred Parker appreciates them coming back; they also headlined in 2009. It didn’t take much to coax them; he’s a longtime friend of the band and a fellow musician.
“Tara and Jeb are friends of mine, and it’s nice to have them kicking off the festival,” Parker said. “I think it gives us a real nice headliner and a shot in the arm. I know they like the event.”
Parker spent time with Nevins and Puryear, telling Puryear, “I know it’s kind of small place, but what do you think?’ And he said, ‘We loved it, and we had a real good time.'”
Fans literally climbed the tables in 2009. Odds are, they’ll do it again, though even band members don’t know which songs they’ll play until they get on stage. They never bother with a set list.
“That’s one of the things about us,” Nevins said. “We get up onstage and play whatever we feel like playing. We just kind of fly by the seat of our pants. Every time we try to make a set list, we never stick to it.”
They stick to a pattern, though, usually alternating between Puryear’s rhythmic, Dylan-influenced, guitar-centered songs and Nevins’ breezy, melodic, accordion-driven gems like the folksy “Tides of Time” and infectious “Locket and Key.”
Donna the Buffalo arrives with a new band member, bassist Kyle Spark, who joined at the end of March. He had a lot to learn, considering Donna’s rich songwriting history. Nevins said they took it slow.
“He gets the records, and we give him a list of the things we normally play and start with that,” Nevins said. “You gotta give a guy a fighting chance. For a few shows, we stick to those for his sake. Then we’ll throw a new one onstage and see how it goes.”
So far, she’s like the chemistry.
Mixing in new players keeps the band fresh; Puryear and Nevins are the only two constants. Playing other types of gigs helps, too. In 2009, Nevins joined former Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s BK 3 on the road.
“The call came in, and it was kind of out of the blue,” Nevins said. “I just felt, ‘Well, I’m up for something different. A challenge. Step out of my box a little bit.’ I did it, and it was completely awesome. I had a wonderful time, and the playing was fantastic. I’d love to do it again.”
Nevins said Donna may record again with Jim Lauderdale, who joined them for a set at Merlefest. They haven’t started a follow-up to 2009’s well-received “Silverlined,” which includes guest spots from Bela Fleck, Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo, and Levon Helms’ daughter Amy.
“Looking back, I think it was a great record. It got all the way up to No. 8 on the Americana charts,” Nevins said.
“We did our very first music video for the song ‘Locket and Key,’ and that got a lot of airplay. People still hear it in department stores and restaurants and grocery stores. It was one of the first times one of our songs traveled a little bit further.
“Yeah, I have a good attachment to that record.”
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100513/ENTERTAINMENT0301/305129888/-1/SHOWCASE
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